Rick Perry Is Throwing Down More Than $1 Million To Make A Comeback

With just four weeks to go until the Iowa Republican caucuses, Rick Perry is making aggressive overtures to the GOP's all-important Christian base.

The Perry campaign is now flooding the Iowa airwaves in a forceful attempt to win back religious conservatives — a key voting bloc that Perry has depended on since launching his campaign. Once a favorite among evangelicals, the Texas Governor has seen his support slip as Christian Right leaders abandoned his sinking White House bid.

After months of languishing in the polls, the clock is ticking for Perry to make a comeback. Herman Cain's exit looked like it open up an opportunity for the Texas Governor to regain momentum, but the race is now quickly shaping up to be a two-man contest between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.

Perry's trump card is his money — and he is going all in in Iowa. The Perry camp is apparently throwing down at least $1.2 million for TV and radio airtime — a huge sum that, in Iowa, guarantees Perry will be a very familiar face by the time January 3 rolls around.

The media blitz is slowly starting to work, according to conservative insiders in Iowa. Sources told Business Insider today that Perry's heightened exposure is already helping him pick up support with the state's social conservatives, and said it looks as though Perry still has a shot to rebuild support among the state's religious conservatives.

Perry unabashedly plays up this strength in a new Iowa television ad, The 30-second spot is basically a spiritual throwdown with Barack Obama, with Perry accusing the President of launching a "war on religion" and criticizing his decision to let gays serve in the military.

Here's the transcript:

"I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school," Perry tells the camera. "As President, I'll end Obama's war on religion. And I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage. Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again."